Political equations appear to be changing inside and outside Parliament at a time when speculation on the Lok Sabha elections next year has refused to die down in political circles while the government is fixed on FDI in retail and mobilising support in the numbers game.
The Samajwadi Party is moving closer to the Congress with a calculation that the latter can make Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav the Prime Minister if it fails to form a next government after the general election.
The Congress had backed Chandra Shekhar, H.D. Deve Gowda and I.K. Gujral governments for a short time when it lost 1989 and 1996 Lok Sabha elections.
Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav cannot become a leader of regional parties in the UPA, NDA and outside for the simple reason that many regional leaders are aspirant to the top post. They would press the Congress and the BJP to back them.
Leaders of non-UPA and non-NDA have realised that a third front or a federal front cannot emerge an as an alternative when regional parties are divided between the Fronts led by the Congress and the BJP respectively. They fear that the Left would become irrelevant at the national level if it does not change with the times.
Trinamul Congress president Mamata Banerjee, BSP chief Mayawati and AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa cannot be part of any front for the simple reason that they do not want to play second fiddle to any anybody.
The Congress party facing the twin issues — inflation and corruption — has been week in number of states organisationally. It has been lacking heavyweight regional satraps. It can win Karnataka but lose Andhra Pradesh. It has not been a major player in key states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal and cannot come to power on its own in Maharashtra.
And it has not improved in the BJP ruled Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and could face anti incumbency in Rajasthan when these states would go to the polls next year.
The BJP,on the other hand, is a divided house and its second rung leaders keen to become the prime minister.
It has no presence in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu ,Kerala,west Bengal and would lose power in Karnatka.It has been on third position in Uttar Pradesh and has not been able to revive in Orissa.